Phil Hughes Flirts with No-No

Phil Hughes took a no-hitter into the eighth inning tonight in Oakland. It was broken up with no outs when Eric Chavez hit a comebacker right at Hughes that he was able to knock down, but unable to locate on the ground before Chavez reached first. He then struck out the next batter, but walked Gabe Gross after that and was pulled from the game for Joba Chamberlain.

Hughes looked downright dominant. His fastball was clocked at 93 MPH repeatedly, even into the late innings. His curve and cutter were as sharp as I've ever seen. He was locating his pitches perfectly, putting them right on the mitt, and changing the eye level of the hitters and keeping them off balance all night long. Hughes looked confident and poised on the mound and seemed in control of the entire game. He accumulated a career high 10 strikeouts. It was special to watch a 23-year-old fulfill all of that potential and promise over seven innings.

His final line: W - 7.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 10 K.

You may recall in his first season in the majors, in 2007, Hughes was working on a no-hitter against the Texas Rangers when he injured his hamstring in the seventh inning. Back then he was a kid who you've heard about in the organization as being among the best pitching prospects in baseball. The kid they wouldn't deal for Johan Santana. Since then, during his time in the majors as a starter, he hasn't really been able to put it together on a consistent basis. But last year, in the bullpen, he looked fantastic and gained some confidence. Then he won the hyped fifth starter competition with a solid spring. Let's hope this gem is the start of that elusive breakout campaign. If he does put it all together, the Yankees will have an ace as their fifth starter.

The Pen is Mightier Than the Staff?

Since Joba Chamberlain first took the league by storm a fascinating debate has emerged. It centers around the idea that Chamberlain has more value to the team pitching out of the bullpen. The debate gained momentum last season, when Phil Hughes experienced his most successful stretch in the big leagues while pitching out of the pen.

The argument continues. Put on a New York sports radio station and soon enough you'll hear someone call up and suggest that Chamberlain be put in the bullpen for good, that he should be "groomed" as future closer and successor to Mariano Rivera.

Personally, I've always been adamantly against relegating a talent like Chamberlain or Hughes to the bullpen. Let me outline my reasoning.

1. Both Chamberlain and Hughes have been starters their entire baseball lives. They were first brought into the organization as starters and they were starters in the minors before being called up. Even in the majors both Chamberlain and (to a lesser extent) Hughes have shown that they can be successful starting pitchers.

2. With the talent that a player like Chamberlain has displayed, would you rather have him pitch 200+ innings for your team or do you want him to pitch 70-80 innings? This is a no brainer. Sure, those 70-80 innings might come in high leverage situations, but you first need a starter to get you to those later innings and give you a chance to win.

3. While the numbers that Chamberlain and Hughes have put up as starters are not what was expected, they're by no means terrible. It takes a long time for a pitcher to adjust to the big leagues. So many front line starters have faltered at the start their careers only to eventually put it all together. Take a look at John Lackey's career numbers, or Dan Haren, or Jake Peavy. All struggled greatly in their first 30+ starts. Chamberlain's numbers in his first 20 career starts are better than all of those comparables. Plus, you cannot lose sight of the fact that Chamberlain is 24 years-old while Hughes is only 23. They deserve more time before making any judgements.

4. Of course they've had success in the bullpen, they have an absurd amount of talent and pitching out of the pen is simply easier than starting. You only need to get three outs, maybe six. You rarely see a batter more than once in an appearance. You don't need to bring out the entire arsenal, usually just throwing a fastball and one out pitch (either slider, curve or change). That's a major hindrance on guys like Chamberlain and Hughes who have three or more plus pitches and a need to continue developing a repertoire. Think about a guy like Daniel Cabrera - a player who probably should've been moved to the pen a long time ago, but they keep trotting him out in the first inning and hoping one day he'll put all that talent together. That raw stuff is too tantalizing and teams want to maximize it in a starting role.

5. A pitcher isn't "groomed" for a spot in the bullpen. Unless the player has been pitching out of the pen throughout his college and minor league career, the role is usually reserved for guys who either couldn't make it as a starter or have suffered an injury to their throwing arm and can't handle a large pitch count. Joe Nathan and Eric Gagne are prime examples of guys who couldn't make it as starters and were moved to the bullpen. You can't make a decision on Chamberlain or Hughes like that yet, they need more time.

6. An ace starter is harder to come by than a dominant bullpen man. This is just a simple fact of baseball. Capable bullpen pitchers pop up every year, yet dominant starters are a rare breed. Both Chamberlain and Hughes have the chance to be top of the rotation pitchers.

Now, I think Yankees fans have a unique perspective on this debate because of Mariano Rivera - unquestionably the greatest bullpen man of all time. He's been in the league long enough where it's time to start thinking about what's going to happen when he retires. Fans desperately want a seamless transition and they know how hard that's going to be. Well, Mo is going to impossible to replace. Don't let the desire to supersede him cloud your judgement and call for a talent like Chamberlain or Hughes to spend the rest of their careers trying to live up to Rivera in the pen. It's only setting them up for failure all while not maximizing their potential.

This upcoming season will only fuel the debate. The competition for the fifth spot in the rotation will produce an odd man out and that player will most likely end up in the bullpen. The Yankees view Chamberlain and Hughes as long term projects and are in no rush to make a decision, but it's clear that they want them to succeed as starters and will afford them every opportunity to do so.

Competition Breeds Excellence

The most compelling story line of the Spring is sure to be the competition for the fifth spot in the Yankees rotation. Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes are expected to be in an even battle. Whoever pitches better during the course of the exhibition season wins the job. It's been over four years since we first starting hearing these two names, since they were considered the future of the staff. The Yankees are confident that one of them will step up, win the job, live up to the potential and spend the entire season in the rotation.

The main question is, what happens to the player that loses the competition?

The most likely answer is a move to the bullpen, where both players have had success in the past. Another possibility is sending the runner-up down to AAA where he can stay stretched out as a starter and continue to develop pitches. This could prove very useful in the event of an injury.

So, who is more likely to win the spot?

Well, it was reiterated today by Joe Girardi that it's a completely equal competition, neither player has the leg up right now. Here's my evaluation of each players chances:

Joba Chamberlain - Has 43 starts and 281 big league innings under his belt. During that time he's compiled a 15-9 record with a 3.61 ERA and 285 strikeouts, solid numbers for any pitcher in their first three seasons in the majors. Working out of the bullpen he has 27 holds and one career save. He's also put up some very concerning stats - 27 HR allowed, 121 walks and a rising number of hits allowed. Certainly, the bouncing between bullpen and rotation and all the 'Joba Rules' didn't help. Now that he's free of those restrictions the 24 year-old should respond well - a power pitcher doesn't need those types of limitations. In the rotation he would be able to show off his entire repertoire - 97+ mph fastball, devastating slider, 12-6 curve and a developing change.

Phil Hughes - Has 28 starts and 192 big league innings on his resume and put together a 13-10 record, 4.20 ERA and 177 strikeouts in that time. In the bullpen he has 18 holds and three career saves (all accumulated last season). Last year he worked masterfully out of the pen, but he struggled after September and ended up allowing six earned runs in six postseason innings. Hughes has been very inconsistent as a starter, showing flashes, but posting bad numbers overall. He definitely gained a lot of confidence last season and that's a huge step for a 23 year-old. Possesses a 91+ mph fastball, deadly curve, a developing cutter and a change up. Hughes' most valuable assets are his command and poise, he seems to be mature beyond his years on the mound.

I give the edge to Chamberlain. He's had more success than Hughes as a starter in their brief time in the majors and as a power pitcher he is more able to rely on his stuff. Hughes' fastball leaves less room for error, but he does have far better control and keeps his emotions in check. Both pitchers have the capability to post outstanding numbers.

Clearly the team isn't getting greedy and is only expecting one of the two to perform up to expectations. Whoever ends up claiming the spot, it's a win for the Yankees either way and they'll address all the other questions that arise when the time comes.